productivity

It’s officially back to the grind. Kids go back to school (Hell. To. The YES!) and -naturally- we feel that we will get back to our groove. We’re fired up, it’s a new year…let’s roll!

But, how do you prioritize? How do you decide which goal or task to tackle first?

Truth: A key differentiator between people who succeed in their business and those who do not is personal productivity. Leaders and entrepreneurs who are consistently making things happen know how to achieve what they want in less time than others. American Express Forum details what highly successful entrepreneurs do every day.

I was pleasantly surprised at learning that many of these tips are already a part of what we teach at ETTWomen, I wanted to share them with you again so you keep them top of mind.

There’s a lot to be learned from the tactics of successful, and incredibly busy, individuals on how to better organize our own days. Here are 10 things you can start doing today:

Pick 1 task to focus on. One thing many successful entrepreneurs have in common is the ability to focus on what matters most. Pick one thing and do that one thing.

Block out distractions. Period. Martina Navratilova says, “I concentrate on concentrating.” If you don’t have the willpower to be self-accountable, try Rescue Time. It is an application that runs in the background of your computer and measures how you spend your time so you can make better decisions.

Set a strict time limit on meetings. In general, people don’t need as much time as they ask for. Meetings can be time vampires. So, be cut-throat when it comes to managing your time so you can focus on high value tasks.

Set up productivity rituals. Many of you know I swear by waking up earlier than most consider normal. You also know that because of this, there are tasks that are done by 6am. Therefore, setting up rituals that automate behaviors, make us more productive – without depleting our energy reservoir. 4am may not be your cup of tea, but force yourself to prioritize so that you know that you will finish at least that one critical task during the period of the day when you have the most energy and the fewest distractions.

Get up earlier. Research shows that mornings can make or break your day. Use the mantra “mind over mattress” to motivate yourself to get out of bed to pursue your goals.

Outsource personal chores. Highly productive people are selective about how they expend their energy. They don’t waste time or energy on tasks that others can do. Do a cost/benefit analysis of how you spend your time and see if it’s worth offloading some repetitive tasks so you can focus on what will bring value to your company.

Increase your effectiveness through technology. There’s a plethora of programs to make a small-business owner more effective in increasing productivity. A few popular tools—some of which are free—include Dropbox to store files online; Any Meeting to host a webinar and Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule your social media postings.

Don’t say yes to every request. Most of us have a deep need to be liked. That translates into us saying yes to everything – which is the end of your elite productivity.

Stop multi-tasking. New research confirms that all the distractions invading our lives are rewiring the way our brains work. Be one of the rare-air few who develops the mental and physical discipline to have a mono-maniacal focus on one thing for many hours. It’s all about practice.

Learn from others. Understand that for you to move to your next level of success, you must be in constant student mode. Whether you’re learning from others, attending school, reading books, attending seminars or taking a course, you have to gain access to the information you don’t know so you can get to where you want to be.

Your productivity is your life made visible. Protect your time, your energy, your business, your life.

Do you have a question? Leave me a comment below! We’re kicking off the year with an exciting new event space!